‘Just bread and tea’: WFP says aid cuts to Afghanistan leave millions hungry this winter – World
The head of the World Food Programme in Afghanistan says the agency can only feed half the millions of Afghans in need after cuts in international aid and an impending freeze in US foreign funding. Many people were living on just “bread and tea”, WFP Country Director Hsiao-Wei Lee told Reuters. Afghanistan was tipped to […]
PAF among top 10 most powerful air forces globally
Listen to article A recent report published on a globalfirepower.com website has ranked the world’s most powerful air forces based on their aircraft inventory, including fighter jets, helicopters, and support aircraft. The United States was identified as the strongest air force globally, followed by Russia and China in second and third places, respectively. India ranked fourth, South […]
Govt revises family pension rules under new policy
Listen to article The government has revised family pension rules, limiting eligibility for minors to the age of 21, according to a new directive issued by the Ministry of Finance, Express News reported. The ministry clarified in an office memorandum that family pensions will now be granted to eligible children up to the age of 21. The […]
4 men sentenced to death in Rawalpindi over ‘online blasphemy’: lawyer – Pakistan
A court in Rawalpindi sentenced four men to death for posting blasphemous content online, a prosecution lawyer told AFP on Monday. “They were sentenced to death … on Friday for spreading blasphemous content online against the Prophet Muhammad (PUBH) and the Quran,” Rao Abdur Raheem, a lawyer from the Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan, a […]
PTI refuses to attend talks despite NA speaker’s efforts
Listen to article Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has refused to participate in a meeting scheduled for Tuesday despite efforts by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to engage the opposition in dialogue, Express News reported. According to sources, Sadiq reached out to Leader of the Opposition and PTI’s negotiation committee head Omar Ayub over a phone call, inviting the […]
Pakistan Railways lays off 18% staff as part of IMF reforms
Listen to article Pakistan Railways has terminated 18% of its “unnecessary staff” as part of its efforts to improve performance and align with the reform agenda mandated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was informed on Monday. The move is a key step in implementing ambitious reforms required by the IMF under its […]
SBP cuts key policy rate by 100bps to 12pc – Business
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced on Monday that it had decided to cut its key policy rate by 100 basis points (bps) to 12 per cent from 13pc amid demands for a major rate cut. The central bank’s policy rate, after being slashed by 1,000bps from 22pc since June 2024 in six intervals, […]
Celebrating the year of the Snake with traditions and tales
Listen to article The world is gearing up to celebrate Lunar New Year, the most significant event on the Chinese calendar. Falling on January 29, 2025, this year marks the beginning of the Year of the Snake, kicking off a 15-day celebration filled with cultural traditions, family reunions, and symbolic rituals. Why the year of the Snake? […]
Sindh home minister urges Chinese nationals to follow SOPs in raising complaints
Listen to article Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar has advised Chinese nationals who filed a petition with the Sindh High Court (SHC) against alleged police harassment to adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) established for addressing such concerns. Speaking to the media on Monday, Lanjar emphasised that Chinese citizens should channel their grievances through the […]
ATC dismisses Imran Khan’s acquittal request
Listen to article An anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi on Monday dismissed acquittal pleas filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and two co-accused in the May 9 General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case, Express News reported. Judge Amjad Ali Shah rejected the pleas submitted by Imran Khan, retired Colonel Ajmal Sabir, and Suhail Irfan Abbasi, ruling in […]